HomeNVHR Commends New HHS Plan for the Prevention and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis

NVHR Commends New HHS Plan for the Prevention and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis

HHS Action Plan for the Prevention and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis, released today by Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Howard Koh,follows a 2010 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Hepatitis and Liver Cancer: A National Strategy for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis B and C. The IOM report found a troubling lack of knowledge about the devastating impact of this disease among health care and social services providers, at-risk populations, the general public and policymakers. The IOM report was commissioned in part by the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR). Testimony: Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) “I am living proof that this is a winnable battle,” said Rep. Johnson, who announced in 2009 that he successfully completed treatment for hepatitis. “The costs of inaction are simply too great. That's why this plan, the first-ever federal plan to combat this silent epidemic, is so important. Thanks to the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, and all the advocates, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that viral hepatitis receives the national attention it deserves.”